Film review: 'Weiner'

The documentary, "Weiner," opens with a quote from Marshall McLuhan: "The name of a man is a numbing blow, from which he never recovers." 

​It's a laugh-out-loud moment, considering what brought down Congressman Anthony Weiner. And the double entendre does not go unnoticed. 

Anthony Weiner had everything going for him. Elected to seven terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, he was a gifted orator and crusader for human rights. His wife, Huma Abedin, a longtime aide to Hillary Clinton, was deeply devoted to him. She was a visible spouse, who accentuated his life in the spotlight. But Weiner had an Achilles heel — located between his legs.

His epic fall from grace was initiated by a sexting scandal. Weiner was forced into resigning from Congress by the court of public opinion, including President Obama's. But his inflated hubris and unflinching hunger for attention thrust him into running for mayor of New York City in 2013. During the campaign, more evidence of his online antics emerged. The crash was devastating to the most severely injured victim, his wife Huma.

This monumental trainwreck begs the question, "Why?" MSNBC journalist Lawrence O'Donnell even comes right out and asks Weiner in an interview, "What's wrong with you?" The constant pain that Weiner inflicts on his family and aides is as incomprehensible as it is reprehensible. But the greatest question of all is why did he allow Josh Kriegman and Elyse Steinberg to make this scathing and riveting documentary? That, in itself, speaks volumes about Weiner.

"Weiner" is peppered with hilarious snippets from the likes of Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart, Bill Maher and Howard Stern. Even Donald Trump gets in on the action. It's one of the most entertaining documentaries ever made. On a local note, "Weiner" won the jury prize for best documentary feature at this year's Sarasota Film Festival. 

Just a piece of advice: Don't confuse "Weiner" with Todd Solondz's "Wiener-Dog." You'll find yourself barking up the wrong tree.